Episode 90: Talking Student Engagement with Dr. Diane Neubauer and AnneMarie Chase

05/02/24 • 61 min

In this in-person episode from the CI Mitten conference, Dr. Diane Neubauer and AnneMarie Chase joined me to talk about the multifaceted concept of student engagement in the world language classroom.

We uncover and challenge traditional views of engagement, offering innovative strategies and real-life applications that will inspire and empower educators.
**Show Notes:**
What is engagement?

Diane Newbauer discusses her PhD research, providing a nuanced definition of engagement that includes cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral dimensions.
Discussion on recognizing various forms of student engagement, supported by real classroom anecdotes.

Innovative Strategies for Engagement:

Anne Marie Chase shares effective techniques for increasing student involvement, including physical activities, gamification, and novel games tailored for end-of-year excitement.
Introduction of "Centric Circles" for oral assessment and a great way to celebrate progress, fostering a low-stress environment where students can express themselves freely.

Practical Ideas for the End of the Year:

Explanation of a scavenger hunt activity that utilizes picture talks from the year, enhancing review and comprehension through an engaging, interactive format.
Discussion of "Movie Talk," a strategy to enhance comprehension and engagement through narrated movie scenes, ideal for end-of-year learning.

Reflection:

Reflective conversation on the importance of adapting teaching approaches to meet the diverse needs of students.
Encouragement for educators to experiment with new methods, especially towards the end of the school year, to rejuvenate their classrooms and celebrate student progress.

This episode serves as a toolkit for educators aiming to enhance engagement in their classrooms through thoughtful, innovative, and practical strategies that resonate with both students and teachers alike.
Resources:

AnneMarie Chase Blogcito

Dr. Diane Neubauer’s Podcast: Conversations about Language Teaching

Audio: https://conversationsaboutlanguage.buzzsprout.com/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/@ConversationsaboutLanguage
Hiver, P., Al-Hoorie, A. H., & Mercer, S. (2020). Student engagement in the language classroom. Multilingual Matters.
Jacknick, C. M. (2021). Multimodal participation and engagement: Social interaction in the classroom. Edinburgh University Press.
Neubauer, D. (2022). Chinese Language Instruction with Novice Learners: Target Language Topic Development, Engagement, and Comprehension in Online and Hybrid Classrooms. The University of Iowa.
More resources:

Teacher Guide: How to Shift to A Comprehensible and Communicative Teaching Approach

Free stories for Spanish teachers

🎙️ Do your students love animals?
Yeah... I already know the answer.
Because if there’s one thing that gets every single one of my students to say “aww” or light up with a smile... it’s animals. 🐶🐱🐘

Now imagine combining that universal love with a real-world topic like natural disasters—and boom 💥—you’ve got a compelling, ready-to-use lesson that sparks curiosity and builds empathy.

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In this in-person episode from the CI Mitten conference, Dr. Diane Neubauer and AnneMarie Chase joined me to talk about the multifaceted concept of student engagement in the world language classroom.

We uncover and challenge traditional views of engagement, offering innovative strategies and real-life applications that will inspire and empower educators.
**Show Notes:**
What is engagement?

Diane Newbauer discusses her PhD research, providing a nuanced definition of engagement that includes cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral dimensions.
Discussion on recognizing various forms of student engagement, supported by real classroom anecdotes.

Innovative Strategies for Engagement:

Anne Marie Chase shares effective techniques for increasing student involvement, including physical activities, gamification, and novel games tailored for end-of-year excitement.
Introduction of "Centric Circles" for oral assessment and a great way to celebrate progress, fostering a low-stress environment where students can express themselves freely.

Practical Ideas for the End of the Year:

Explanation of a scavenger hunt activity that utilizes picture talks from the year, enhancing review and comprehension through an engaging, interactive format.
Discussion of "Movie Talk," a strategy to enhance comprehension and engagement through narrated movie scenes, ideal for end-of-year learning.

Reflection:

Reflective conversation on the importance of adapting teaching approaches to meet the diverse needs of students.
Encouragement for educators to experiment with new methods, especially towards the end of the school year, to rejuvenate their classrooms and celebrate student progress.

AnneMarie Chase Blogcito

Dr. Diane Neubauer’s Podcast: Conversations about Language Teaching

Audio: https://conversationsaboutlanguage.buzzsprout.com/

Teacher Guide: How to Shift to A Comprehensible and Communicative Teaching Approach

Free stories for Spanish teachers

Now imagine combining that universal love with a real-world topic like natural disasters—and boom 💥—you’ve got a compelling, ready-to-use lesson that sparks curiosity and builds empathy.

Previous Episode

Episode 89: Discover 5 Games to Boost Engagement & Community in Your World Language Class with Profe Valentina and Carolina Gómez

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Are you searching for low-prep games perfect for this busy time of year? Look no further! In this episode, join us as we welcome two incredible educators from Colombia, Profe Valentina and Carolina Gómez. They're here to share five engaging, low-prep games that are ideal for any classroom setting. These games are designed to boost engagement, foster community, review content, and add some fun to your daily routine. Who doesn't need a little extra fun, right?

In this discussion, Profe Valentina and Carolina also dive into the significance of establishing routines and modeling effective game play in the classroom. Plus, they offer advice on troubleshooting common challenges, such as when classes or individual students are hesitant to participate in game activities.

Tune in now and be part of this great conversation with my paisanas!
Key Takeaways:

Establishing Effective Routines: Learn how to set up routines that make game play smooth and beneficial.
5 Engaging Classroom Games: Discover games you can seamlessly integrate into your lessons at any time of the year.
Adapting Games for Different Levels: Gain insights on how to modify games to challenge and engage middle and high school students.
Consistency in Game Play: Understand the importance of playing the same game repeatedly to enhance the use of the target language in your classroom.

Don't miss this opportunity to add these practical, fun-filled games to your class. Subscribe and share with fellow educators looking to uplevel their language classes!

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Guest Bios:

Profe Valentina was born and raised in Colombia and has been teaching Spanish for over 16 years. She has experience teaching students from Pre-K through 8th grade, but her passion lies in elementary education. Valentina's language teaching approach aligns with the latest second language acquisition theories and incorporates culturally responsive practices. Her workshops and presentations are as creative, dynamic, and enthusiastic as her classes.
Carolina Gómez is a Colombian language educator with over 20 years of experience. She holds a B.A. in Languages and Education from the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, and a Master's degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She is currently a PreK-3 Spanish teacher at an independent school in Cambridge, MA. Carolina combines her passion for teaching her language and culture through stories in the classroom. She enjoys connecting and creating a community with other educators through her blog "Fun for Spanish Teachers," different social media outlets, conferences, and workshops.

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Resources:

Carolina’s blog: https://funforspanishteachers.com/

Carolina’s IG account: https://www.instagram.com/funforspanishteachers/

Valentina’s blog: https://profevalentina.com/

Valentina’s IG account: https://www.instagram.com/profevalentina/

Teacher Guide: How

Now imagine combining that universal love with a real-world topic like natural disasters—and boom 💥—you’ve got a compelling, ready-to-use lesson that sparks curiosity and builds empathy.

Next Episode

Episodio 91 en español: Juegos, Preguntas Personales, Historias, y Flippity con Dahiana Castro y Nelly Andrade

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¿Te perdiste la conferencia de CI Mitten? No te preocupes, en este episodio te traemos un cargamento de actividades y estrategias que Nelly Andrade, Dahiana Castro y yo descubrimos y exploramos durante el evento. Desde herramientas interactivas como Flippity, hasta técnicas para crear historias con tus estudiantes, pasando por métodos innovadores para evaluar oralmente y divertidos juegos para dinamizar tus clases, hoy te compartimos una abundancia de recursos útiles.
Te invitamos a escuchar este episodio para conocer estas ideas y reflexionar sobre cómo podrías adaptarlas a tu entorno educativo. Además, nos encantaría que compartieras con nosotros cómo te fue al implementar estas estrategias en tus clases.
Este episodio es ideal para que te relajes y disfrutes de tu bebida favorita, mientras sientes que estás en una amena reunión con colegas.
¡Dale play y sumérgete en un mundo de aprendizaje y diversión!
Recursos de este episodio:
Flippity

Blog post de la Sra. Chase

Blog de Dahiana Castro

Movie Talk by Dr. Ashley Hastings

Teacher Guide: How to Shift to A Comprehensible and Communicative Teaching Approach

Growing With Proficiency The Blog

Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist

Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

Free FB Community: Growing With CI

Claudia @‌IG

Now imagine combining that universal love with a real-world topic like natural disasters—and boom 💥—you’ve got a compelling, ready-to-use lesson that sparks curiosity and builds empathy.